Current Edinburgh Students Chat Thread

Original post by oxymoronic

Pollock seriously is such a rip off. I can't believe people pay for it.

Its £73 more expensive to go for the cheapest single, shared bathroom in Pollock than it is to go for the cheapest, shared bathroom in a s/c flat.

Without checking the site - aren't some of the cheapest s/c's now the really bad ones far away from everything? (Thinking places like West Mains Rd) - a lot of the more decent places like WPC and WPR appear to be at least £90p/w now...

Original post by oxymoronic

I hate Edinburgh. Seriously, what do you get in Pollock for the privilege of an additional £73 a week beyond the annoyance of having to eat at set times and having to move out of your room in the Easter holidays??

My understanding was that the Easter holidays thing had gone for good. For some people I can see the advantage of someone else doing the cooking and not having to budget/shop for food. Regular cleaning and laundering of bed linen. The university is sweating its assets because it has to and because people will keep on paying.

Original post by oxymoronic

I'd also love to know what the hell a "superior single" is in the John Burnett House place and how they can legitimately make people pay £226 a week for it.

It's a single room in one the size of a twin - about 18sqm. Which is pretty decent for the UK. The price is still outrageous.

Reply 1382

oxymoronic

19

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

Without checking the site - aren't some of the cheapest s/c's now the really bad ones far away from everything? (Thinking places like West Mains Rd) - a lot of the more decent places like WPC and WPR appear to be at least £90p/w now...

Nah, I've just been looking. You can get a "small" single in WPR for £81 a week. The "standard" size is £90 but we all know what that means.

My understanding was that the Easter holidays thing had gone for good. For some people I can see the advantage of someone else doing the cooking and not having to budget/shop for food. Regular cleaning and laundering of bed linen. The university is sweating its assets because it has to and because people will keep on paying.

I still wouldn't pay an additional £73 a week for someone to wash my bedsheets for me and empty my bin.... but then I'm not made of money!

Reply 1383

Original post by oxymoronic

I still wouldn't pay an additional £73 a week for someone to wash my bedsheets for me and empty my bin.... but then I'm not made of money!

Neither would I. I'm just saying I understand why some people do. If you consider that a lot of the "ordinary" people who stay in Pollock will receive some parental backing when it comes to financing catered, it doesn't even really come down to being made of money.

Reply 1384

Rainfaery

12

Original post by oxymoronic

Pollock seriously is such a rip off. I can't believe people pay for it.

Its £73 more expensive to go for the cheapest single, shared bathroom in Pollock than it is to go for the cheapest, shared bathroom in a s/c flat.

I hate Edinburgh. Seriously, what do you get in Pollock for the privilege of an additional £73 a week beyond the annoyance of having to eat at set times and having to move out of your room in the Easter holidays??

I'd also love to know what the hell a "superior single" is in the John Burnett House place and how they can legitimately make people pay £226 a week for it.

I was just discussing this with my mum the other day. It seems like such a ripoff.

Additionally, having been in all of the houses during my job last summer, the rooms in JBH and CC are not /that/ much nicer that they necessitate paying so much more.

I can't imagine having the amount of money on hand to be able to pay £226 a week. Jeezo.

Reply 1385

Katy100

3

It's definitely a rip off, I was in Pollock accomodation a few years ago and it's gone up in price so much- my younger brother really wants to go half-board but may not be able to afford it.

I guess it's because 'Edinburgh First' is a private company and out for all it can get- rather than primarily focused on providing affordable accomodation for students. The result is that it's just another way for the privileged to stay privileged :frown:

Reply 1386

NeoNerd

£226 per week? Seriously? For one room? I pay less than half that for an entire flat, shared with one person. I sure as hell don't spend £500 a month on food and cleaning.

If you got four people from those rooms to share, they could get a 4 bedroom house in the Grange, and still have £279 each left over...

Reply 1387

Hey guys!

Do you know if your resits show up on your transcripts?

They must, right? Anyone here, who has an idea?

Reply 1388

Katy100

3

I think that one of my friends said it only appears as a pass or fail, but I'm not sure!

Reply 1389

oxymoronic

19

Original post by physicsandcars

Hey guys!

Do you know if your resits show up on your transcripts?

They must, right? Anyone here, who has an idea?

I didn't do any resits, but on my degree transcript it has each module I took, the number of credits it was worth, the percentage I got and then what that equated to as a grade.... so I'd imagine if you do resits, it'll just show up on your transcript along with everything else as its just a copy of your MyEd.

Original post by Katy100

I think that one of my friends said it only appears as a pass or fail, but I'm not sure!

See above - I have way more than that on my transcript.

Reply 1390

Original post by Katy100

I guess it's because 'Edinburgh First' is a private company and out for all it can get- rather than primarily focused on providing affordable accomodation for students. The result is that it's just another way for the privileged to stay privileged :frown:

It really isn't as black and white as that. Edinburgh First is owned solely by the University of Edinburgh which is a charity. There are broadly speaking logistic reasons why it operates as a limited company - in the same way that EUSA has a limited company which carries out most of the union's operations during August. They offer a vast amount of housing in a city where real estate is incredibly expensive - much of which is affordable (you find me 2000+ rooms available at the kinds of rates the university charge in the locations they are in, available elsewhere). It makes sense to offer a spread of accommodation - there are people willing and able to pay more than others (that's life). They have a very generous accommodation guarantee which requires certain cash reserves (renting a whole unite building can NOT have been cheap, for example). Edinburgh First employs a lot of students who otherwise might not have jobs. It fleeces tourists during the summer in order to subsidise the provision of accommodation during the academic year. Don't get me wrong, I don't like Accommodation Services for a number of reasons, but they DO provide affordable accommodation for students.

Reply 1391

Original post by oxymoronic

I didn't do any resits, but on my degree transcript it has each module I took, the number of credits it was worth, the percentage I got and then what that equated to as a grade.... so I'd imagine if you do resits, it'll just show up on your transcript along with everything else as its just a copy of your MyEd.

See above - I have way more than that on my transcript.

Katy100

...

Thanks guys :smile:

I checked the university website and it says that the transcript gives the details of every exam taken so I guess the Resit counts under the "every exam" category.

It seems a shame though :frown:

Reply 1392

Original post by physicsandcars

Thanks guys :smile:

I checked the university website and it says that the transcript gives the details of every exam taken so I guess the Resit counts under the "every exam" category.

It seems a shame though :frown:

See it as incentive to avoid any further resits I guess.

I don't actually have a copy of my transcript as yet - something I need to order. However, I have my European Diploma Supplement (which is essentially the same thing). I've attached it to this (with some of the stuff edited out) so you can see roughly what it looks like.

Transcript 2.pdf959.4KB

Reply 1393

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

See it as incentive to avoid any further resits I guess.

I don't actually have a copy of my transcript as yet - something I need to order. However, I have my European Diploma Supplement (which is essentially the same thing). I've attached it to this (with some of the stuff edited out) so you can see roughly what it looks like.

I guess that means my failure will be nice and visible haha

This is really ridiculously nice of you. Thank you! :smile:

And, Congrats on the 1st! :biggrin:

Reply 1394

Rainfaery

12

Original post by physicsandcars

Thanks guys :smile:

I checked the university website and it says that the transcript gives the details of every exam taken so I guess the Resit counts under the "every exam" category.

It seems a shame though :frown:

I'm fairly sure resits show up on transcripts.

I don't know why you'd expect anything else, really. If you failed an exam and had to take it a second/third time, people who are looking at your transcript deserve to know that you didn't get the result on the first try.

If a resit was the only mark that showed up, no one would have any incentive to pass an exam the first time.

Reply 1395

Rainfaery

12

Original post by nearlyheadlessian

See it as incentive to avoid any further resits I guess.

I don't actually have a copy of my transcript as yet - something I need to order. However, I have my European Diploma Supplement (which is essentially the same thing). I've attached it to this (with some of the stuff edited out) so you can see roughly what it looks like.

I have a copy of my transcript and your thing is identical to it, really.

Reply 1396

Original post by Rainfaery

I'm fairly sure resits show up on transcripts.

I don't know why you'd expect anything else, really. If you failed an exam and had to take it a second/third time, people who are looking at your transcript deserve to know that you didn't get the result on the first try.

If a resit was the only mark that showed up, no one would have any incentive to pass an exam the first time.

All of which absolutely makes sense :smile:

Just wish it was otherwise :rolleyes:

Reply 1397

elisabethbridge

1

Original post by physicsandcars

All of which absolutely makes sense :smile:

Just wish it was otherwise :rolleyes:

I failed a couple of courses at uni. The first one in 2nd year, I failed the resit as well, so eventually had to re-resit the exam in third year. And I failed a course in 4th year.

I don't have my transcript, but I do have the European supplement thingy, and the courses I've failed don't show up on it. So basically it shows the first resit as a passed course under 3rd year, and as you're obviously not allowed to resit 3rd/4th year courses, the fourth year fail has just been left out showing that I took 8 instead of 9 courses.

Reply 1398

Original post by elisabethbridge

I failed a couple of courses at uni. The first one in 2nd year, I failed the resit as well, so eventually had to re-resit the exam in third year. And I failed a course in 4th year.

I don't have my transcript, but I do have the European supplement thingy, and the courses I've failed don't show up on it. So basically it shows the first resit as a passed course under 3rd year, and as you're obviously not allowed to resit 3rd/4th year courses, the fourth year fail has just been left out showing that I took 8 instead of 9 courses.

REALLY?

That just made me so happy :biggrin:

It doesn't make sense to me but I'll take it haha :biggrin:

Reply 1399